I love those spice tins. I first saw one at the home of a dear neighbor - both husband and wife grew up in India. I have a fondness for doing tamarind water from whole pods because...I love the seeds aesthetically (also love loquat seeds) and well Julie Andrew & Omar Sharif in The Tamarind Seed...
My general curry confusion is definition. Is it a highly spiced (not heat but spices) gravy over several cuisines or? I like The Japanese S&B powder. I have a gorgeous Thai mortar and pestle but often use canned pastes for South East Asian curries. The ones that come in a can like tuna and usually have a mama face logo. Such a broad area - but carry on - I love it all.